Marriage Counseling: What Kind of Relationship Do You Have?

In my close to 20 years of being a marriage counselor, I’ve come to the conclusion that relationships often fall into one of four very broad categories. Do any of these sound like you? Fulfilled: You are best friends and lovers in every sense of the word. You feel supported by and are supportive of one another. You can’t imagine a sharing your with a different partner. Friendship: You are a team and may or may not feel like your partner is your best friend. But the passion is gone. It may feel more like you are running a business together than being lovers. You pay the bills, you take care of the house, you take care of the kids, socialize. Your sex life is likely unfulfilling or non-existent. There are some simmering resentments unde eath that you can’t seem to resolve and your fights may have a repetitive quality to them. Detached: You feel like two ships passing in the night. While you may each know your roles in keeping the house running there is no sense of teamwork. You have lingering disdain for one another. You are together more out of habit than any sense of passion or love. You also may say that you are staying together for the kids. People in this type of relationship are prone to affairs to find the needs they are not getting satisfied in their primary relationship. One Foot Out the Door: You're planning or fantasizing about your exit.